


Enter:  The Master

by enchantment



Series: Forever After Series [17]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-22
Updated: 2014-03-27
Packaged: 2018-01-13 08:11:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1218967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enchantment/pseuds/enchantment
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When he decided to remain in Pete’s World with Rose, the Doctor realized the eventuality of coming across old companions and friends.  What he wasn’t prepared for was the appearance of an old enemy, especially one who had become a close friend to Rose.  **Seventeen of the Forever After Series**</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Enemy Within

**Author's Note:**

> Blast To The Past chapter 6 was when the D & D Bistro was first introduced, along with Jack, Pete and Jake’s love for their favorite game.
> 
> And just a quick reminder for the beginning of this story, the Doctor and Rose spent their honeymoon at a fairytale resort in chapter 7 of The Great Escape.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own anything in relation to Dr. Who.

**Chapter 1 The Enemy Within**

"Oi, it's the newlyweds! Welcome back you two!" greets Jake as he rises from his chair to give them a hug. "So, how was it?" he questions with a lecherous waggle of his eyebrows towards Rose. "Was it everything that you hoped for?"

Rose and the Doctor share a quick glance and a secret smile before she divulges, "It was just like a fairytale."

"Wow, really?" responds Jake wonderingly before deadpanning, "Sounds boring." He deftly avoids Rose's attempt to swat his arm while maneuvering towards the gift bags that the Doctor is holding and trying to peek inside. "Lovely, it looks like you've brought over some gifts! Do any of those happen to be for me?"

"Not anymore," replies the Doctor with a saccharine smile before being nearly bowled over by an overenthusiastic Jack.

"Doctor, I'm so glad you're finally back! I've been waiting ages for you to return to work!" proclaims Jack with a huge grin.

"That's sweet, Jack," replies the Doctor with an indulgent smile, "but you always could have come over to the hotel when we'd arrived home if you'd missed me that much."

"Oh, I didn't miss you," denies Jack casually, "I need you to unlock one of your files. I can't finish my report without it and Donna's been asking when I'll have it done."

"Aw," teases Rose with a shoulder bump to a pouting Doctor, "it's nice to be appreciated isn't it, love?"

"Yes, it is," declares Donna as she walks over to the group and pulls Rose into a tight hug, "and you've been missed very much." She beams at Rose before facing the Doctor with a stern expression. "And what I've missed from you is Jack being able to complete his work on time due to your negligence. Next time, leave your password with him so he can unlock your files and now that you're back to work, _get back to work!_ "

"I come bearing gifts!" announces the Doctor as he lifts the bags in the air in hopes of a peace offering while leaning slightly away from her.

"How sweet," thanks Donna with a smile, "now unlock that file!" Jack hands a tablet computer to the Doctor with a pleading gaze while Donna turns back to Rose with an expectant gleam in her eye. "I hope you chose the gifts."

The Doctor pulls a face behind Donna's back while Rose laughingly answers, "Well, some jewelry for you and Mum anyway, and the Doctor bought t-shirts for you, Jake and Jack."

"All on your account, I suppose?" inquires Donna shrewdly. "I can see it all now," she mocks as she mimics the Doctor's voice, "I'm sorry, I'm so, so, sorry, Rose, but it seems that I've forgotten my wallet. I hope that you can forgive me but it was just being so wrapped up in the thought of our wedding and of course thoughts of you."

The newly married couple both sport tight lipped expressions in response to Donna's gibe, Rose's because she's biting her lip to contain her laughter and the Doctor because he's wearing an annoyed grimace.

"What's the matter, Doc?" questions Jack knowingly. "Was what she said better than what you came up with?"

"Oh, shut up, Harkness!" grouses the Doctor while tossing out to the other three, "And the same goes for you lot as well unless you want to try cracking my password."

Everyone mimes zipping up their lips while Rose reaches into the bag containing the t-shirts and starts passing them around. Jake is the first to shake out his shirt to reveal a picture of Humpty Dumpty sitting on a wall. "You know, once he fell he had all the king's men at his beck and call," he notes with a wistful sigh. "That was one lucky egg."

Donna rolls her eyes, in disgust or exasperation, nobody's quite sure. She unfolds her t-shirt to exhibit a picture of Snow White's evil step-mother with a caption underneath stating, 'All Hail the Evil Queen!"

"And what's this supposed to mean?" growls Donna as she directs her question at the Doctor.

"Why, nothing at all, Donna," voices the Doctor in a tone born of the utmost innocence. "It's just that when I saw it, I thought of you." He then turns to his best friend and urges, "Well go on and check out yours! I knew they were perfect for you the moment that I laid eyes on them."

Jack's grin is full of excitement as he rapidly unfurls his two shirts to reveal one stating 'Jack and the Beanstalk' with a matching print and the other bearing the image of the British flag. Jack takes a moment to stare down at the shirts pressed against his chest before commenting, "Doc, I understand the Beanstalk shirt but why the British flag?"

"Isn't it obvious?" inquires the Doctor in wide-eyed amazement as he notes everyone's befuddled expressions. "Now you're a _Union_ Jack!"

The entire group groans at the Doctor's jest until Jack remarks with a small chuckle and an amused smile, "Doc, that's just terrible."

"Not as terrible as this shirt," opines Donna as she tosses hers back into her gift bag. "Or the fact that you two managed to make it back into work on your first day back from your honeymoon just in time for the lunch hour," she ends with a deliberate stare.

"That wasn't our fault!" protests the Doctor in earnest. "Pete asked me to pick up some 'special ingredients', you might say, for an important V.I.P. who's going to be visiting today."

"Sure, he did," responds Donna sarcastically as she leans back against a desk and crosses her arms over her chest. "So what type of 'special ingredients' are we talking about here? Marmalade, Jelly Babies, various other assorted things that you can lick? Because we all know that it's not pears."

Rose fails to hold back a small laugh at the Doctor's affronted stance. "No, it's true, Donna. Dad asked us to pick up a few discreet items but he wouldn't say why. They were a little more difficult to get a hold of than usual so that's why we were so late."

"See?" returns the Doctor with a bit of a sneer. "I told you we were working!"

"Well, Spaceman, my mistake and in thanks for not adding a neener-neener to that statement, you two can go off to lunch with my blessing," suggests Donna a little too sweetly. "Go on," she prods as she pushes off from the desk and waves them off good-naturedly, "go off and have your lunch break so you two can finally settle down and _get back to work._ "

"Your wish is my command," vows the Doctor with a graceful bow before he rises to grab his knapsack with the lunches that they picked up before arriving. "Rose, I'll just go ahead and heat up our lunches while you give Donna her other gifts." He leans over and gives his wife a quick kiss on the lips. "Come and join me as soon as you can," he whispers against her mouth before disappearing down the hall.

Pete is walking down the hall at a brisk pace with Torchwood's V.I.P. while apologizing, "I'm sorry about the lack of lab coats around here, Roger. We had a chemical fire the other day right before they were about to be laundered and everyone only managed to hold onto what they were already wearing."

Roger brushes off Pete's apology with a warm smile. "It's fine, Pete. Besides, with all of the toxic spills and other hazards that the janitors here have to take care of, it's much better suited for what I'll have to be dealing with today."

Pete claps Roger on the back and tells him, "Well, I'm going to go and make sure that the materials that I requested earlier have been set up in the lab while you enjoy your coffee. I'll catch up with you later."

As Pete heads off to complete his task, Roger enters the employee break room to find the Doctor with his head rooting around inside a smoking microwave while grumbling, "This wouldn't keep happening if Pete would just let me make it sonic."

When he hears the door opening, he thrusts his head up just long enough to make out Roger's janitorial coat through the smoke but not the man himself. He pokes his head back in the microwave and greets, "Oh, good, you're here! Usually I have to call or wait for you notice the smoke to alert you that there's a clean up!" The Doctor stands up amidst a cloud of smoke and brushes his hands off while casually noting, "However, you're here now so I guess I'll be off!"

"You're off your rocker if you think that I'm cleaning up this mess," voices Roger in a disdainful tone. "You have two hands, do it yourself!"

The surprising rebuke is enough to send the Doctor's head popping up and his eyes to stare agape at the man who issued it once the smoke has cleared. He can't believe his eyes when he sees who it is, or at least who he _thinks_ it is, a man who appears to be an identical twin of the Master's last form, Harry Saxon.

The Doctor immediately whips out his sonic and aims it straight at Roger as he begins his interrogation. "What are you doing here? How did you arrive here?"

Roger calmly scrutinizes the screwdriver while he patronizes, "I'm grabbing a cup of coffee and I arrived here after I crossed the void that they have the nerve to call a parking lot." He releases a snort of disgust. "And then to add insult to injury, somebody's broken down Citroen parked in my usual spot." He sips his coffee and takes his time swallowing before inquiring, "And you are?"

"I'm the Doctor," declares the Time Lord metacrisis, his voice tinged with a hint of the Oncoming Storm.

Roger dips his head down to take another sip of coffee as he mutters under his breath, "Are you sure that you don't just need one?"

The Doctor carefully examines the sonic's readings and wrinkles his brow in consternation before questioning, "Alright, it's obvious that you're not who I thought you are so tell me, who exactly are you?"

Before Roger can answer, the door bursts open and Rose into the room along with it. "Doctor, I smelled smoke! Are you alright?" She's surveying the damage to the kitchen area when she spies Roger in the corner of her eye. Instantly spinning around and catapulting herself into his arms, she squeals, "Roger, Roger Pond!" Her delighted laughter quickly stops as she draws back far enough to notice the coffee that she inadvertently sloshed on his coat. "Oh, Roger, I'm so sorry! It didn't burn you, did it?"

Roger cradles her cheek as he soothes away her fears. "No worries, Rose, I'm fine. Besides, how would I have noticed a burn anyway?" He leans in close to her until their foreheads are resting against each other. "You've always made me feel hot and bothered."

Rose's responding giggles are cut off when the Doctor storms over and yanks her out of Roger's arms and jerks her behind him. Not taking his eyes off the startled man before him, the Doctor furiously growls, "Rose, what the hell do think you're doing? And who is this man?"

"This," declares Rose angrily as she roughly shoves his arm away from her and moves over to stand between her husband and her friend, "is my very dear friend, Roger Pond. We met shortly after I started working at Torchwood. He works with us as an outside consultant for alien tech and well…practically everything really. That is until you came to work here, since then we haven't needed to call upon his services as we usually would."

Roger's assessing gaze meets the Doctor's critical eye head on while he drinks the remainder of his coffee. "And which department do you work for?" inquires Roger curiously. "It's obviously not Intelligence."

Rose swats Roger's arm in chastisement while the Doctor's jaw clenches in synch with the twitching in his left eye and his grip on the sonic screwdriver tightens to the point of nearly breaking it.

"I identify and analyze all of the alien technology in addition to being a Torchwood field operative when my expertise is required," announces the Doctor as he reaches out and tugs Rose firmly against his side. "I'm also _**her husband."**_

Roger exhibits an expression of distaste before releasing a sigh of resignation as he addresses Rose. "Yes, I know. Pete told me that you had recently married but I was hoping that he was just having me on." He flicks his gaze dismissively over the Doctor. "You have my condolences." Roger tilts his head to indicate the sonic screwdriver. "What is that thing anyway?"

"It's my sonic screwdriver," boasts the Doctor, "and it can do almost anything. It's small, slender, has multiple settings and vibrations and fits neatly into the palm of my hand."

Roger shoots him a dry look while he finishes off his coffee. "That must be very convenient for you. Fortunately, some of us can still make do with flesh and blood and a little imagination." He flashes a cheeky grin at Rose who darts him a cautionary glance. "You know, I've missed you, Rose Tyler, especially the missions that we used to go on together." He waggles his eyebrows at her. "Do you fancy coming across the pond for old time's sake?" Noting the amused shake of her head and the Doctor's growl, he suggests hopefully, "Or how about at least out to lunch?"

"No!" barks the Doctor instantaneously as Rose consents, "That would be lovely." Sparing his wife a quick glare, the Doctor composes himself the best that he can and stonily replies, "I mean, thanks for the offer but as you can see, I'm already making our lunch."

Both Roger and Rose lean their heads around the Doctor to view the microwave which at present was only faintly smoking but now also had the added addition of sparks shooting out of it. Rose grimaces at the mess that was once their beloved break room and hesitantly inquires, "Um, Doctor, exactly what happened to cause all of this?"

The Doctor examines the wreckage of the microwave with a detached scientist's eye as he explains, "I poked the cuisine with a fork to see if it was done but it still needed to cook a little longer." He tugs on his ear and offers her a sheepish expression as he adds, "And I might have left the fork in the microwave when I continued to heat it up."

Rose groans in exasperation and scolds, "Doctor! Again?"

While the Doctor turns his head away to avoid Rose's frustrated gaze, Roger claps his hand together in delight and poses, "So, change of plans then? I merely need to stop in at the Met and drop something off to my Cousin Amy and then we'll go to lunch. Afterwards, we can go and visit my sister Melody's store if you like. You remember here charity shop, don't you? The Pond Shoppe?"

"Wait a minute," exclaims the Doctor in disbelief. "Officer Pond is your cousin?"

"Yes," confirms Roger courteously with a wide grin and a nod before turning away from the Doctor and ignoring him completely for Rose. "She was still living in Leadworth when I was last here or I would have introduced you to each other." His gaze momentarily slides away from Rose's as he works out a problem and murmurs to himself. "Perhaps while we're there we can ask her to have that old wreck towed from my old parking spot."

"That's _my_ car!" grits the Doctor between clenched teeth.

Roger gives him a swift once-over before declaring, "How fitting." He turns back to face Rose and taking her hand proclaims, "Well, we'll leave you to clean this place up," as he places a hand on her hip that falls just short of a caress. "Let's try that new Italian restaurant on Delgado Drive near Pertwee Park, shall we? I know how much you hate anything French."

"Excuse me?" interrupts the Doctor as he stiffens his stance as if readying for an attack. "But Rose isn't going anywhere with you unless I say so!"

The air seems to drop a few degrees in compliance with Rose's sudden cool demeanor. _"Excuse me?"_ returns Rose icily. "But I don't take orders from you _unless_ we're in the field and it's absolutely justified and at this particular moment, Doctor, it's _not_."

With a fast turn of her heel, Rose rejoins Roger and grabbing him by the arm, drags him to the exit and angrily strides out of the room. When the Doctor hurries after to follow them, he is once again nearly knocked over by Jack whose expression is so dazed as to suggest that he has been hypnotized.

"Damn it, Jack!" fumes the Doctor as he turns his head in every direction. "Did you see where that man went with Rose?"

As if in a trance, Jack drones, "Do you mean the Master?"

"What?" squeaks the Doctor as the high-pitched noise brings Jack back to himself and his surroundings. "Why would you call him that?"

"Because he's the Master, Doc, the Dungeon Master!" cries Jack excitedly. "Remember, I saw him that night at the D & D Bistro?" He shakes his head to clear it of his dream come true. "I can't believe that he's really here, that I'll actually be working alongside the Master! Maybe now I can finally get his autograph!" Totally oblivious to the Doctor glowering at him, Jack bashfully requests, "Do you think that Rose could introduce me to him? From what I hear from Jake, the Master used to fancy her rotten and they were _really, really_ close."

The Doctor remains silent and still except for a final tightening grasp on his sonic screwdriver that accidentally triggers the last working setting on the microwave right before it explodes.

**Next Chapter: Mind of Evil**


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything in relation to Dungeons & Dragons.

**Chapter 2 Mind of Evil**

"I've dealt with their kind before," whispers the Doctor as he leans in close to the other Torchwood members gathered around them. "Names give them power."

"So what's your plan, Doctor?" questions Jake in a grave tone while all of the other men's eyes train on the Time Lord as they await his response.

"I'm not quite sure," he hems while rubbing the back of his neck. "Any suggestions?" he inquires hopefully.

Pete darts a rueful glance at the microwave. "Bring only sandwiches for lunch?"

Jack laughs and takes another slice of pizza out of the box. "Oh, I don't know Mr. Tyler, this take-out isn't so bad. Would you like another slice?"

Pete eagerly accepts as he holds his plate out while Jack praises, "You're doing pretty good, Doc. Let's go over your options before you make your next move."

Jake chews around a mouthful of pizza while he mumbles, "Where's Rose? I thought that she was going to join us."

The Doctor's expression instantly darkens as he snarls, "She went out to lunch with Roger Pond."

"The Master's back?" asks Jake brightly. "Cool." Subsequently noting the Doctor's glower aimed in his direction, the young Scot hastily amends, "Or not."

Pete pats the Doctor on the back in a show of support and pity. "Don't worry about it, Doctor, it's just two friends going out to lunch. Besides, everyone here knows how hard it is to get girls to stay and play."

Jack nods solemnly while Jake chimes in, "Yeah, girls, phhttt! Who needs them?"

"I do," murmurs the Doctor with a pout as he stares down morosely at the table before turning to Pete. "I don't usually tend to pry into other people's domestics, but have you ever had this kind of trouble with Jackie?"

"No," replies Pete with a negative shake of his head, "but then I've never been stupid enough to try and tell a Tyler woman what to do."

The Doctor finds himself in the incredibly unfamiliar territory of being both speechless and wrong as his friends look on him with sympathy. "I know, and you're right, it's something I never should have done." He runs a hand through his hair in frustration. "And it's also something that I never would have done usually; I don't know what came over me!"

"I do," supplies Jake, "it's called jealousy. And being an idiot, at least that's what Jackie said when she dropped off Pete's lunch earlier of celery sticks, carrots and watercress sandwiches." He directs an insidious grin at his boss and old friend. "So how's that new diet working for you, Pete?"

Pete swallows down his bite of pizza and reaches for another can of soda as he insists, "It's working a treat, unlike those new Torchwood space teleporters that Research & Development have been working on. Even though those poor scientists just can't seem to consistently transport anything in one piece upon arrival, they still send me daily requests to enlist some human test subjects."

Jake's grin quickly fades as Pete's grows wider as he blatantly implies, "Of course, I would never even think of suggesting anyone that I considered such a dear _friend._ You know, the type of mate who would never grass up another man cheating on his diet to his wife."

Jake mutinously throws down his remaining pizza crust onto his plate in surrender. "Aye, I know the type, _pal_. Sheesh, I was only wanting an extra holiday or two."

"Yeah, that's too bad," dismisses the Doctor unconcernedly, much to Pete's amusement and Jake's disgust, as he idly picks up a D & D game piece. "You know, this game reminds me about the time that I spent in the Land of Fiction with the parallel versions of Jack's parents."

The Doctor is about to enthrall his eager listening audience with adventures gone by but any further memories are speedily forgotten when the door opens and Roger Pond enters the room. He approaches them with great interest upon seeing their chosen form of entertainment and inquires, "What do we have here? Playing a game of D & D without the Master? How fortunate it is for you that I happened to show up."

Jack catches the Doctor's less than subtle hand gesture out of the corner of his eye and whispers, "You do realize that you're not holding any dice to shake, right, Doc?"

Jake is full of enthusiasm as he jumps up to his feet and grabs the newcomer in a hug. "Roger, mate, it's great to see you again! I heard that you were back from that mission on the Valiant space lab. How long has it been for you, a year?"

The Doctor stares incredulously at Jake before turning to face Roger with a scowl. _So the year that never was has now become the year that wasn't long enough._

"Exactly one year to the day," answers Roger as Jake shakes his head in amazement. "Pete called me as soon as I returned and told me that Rose was going to start working on a special project and that she needed a good old Roger."

Everyone with the exception of the Doctor laughs at the joke and Pete shoots the Doctor an apologetic look as he rises from the table. "Sorry, it used to be funny." Pete finishes gathering the last of the paper plates to discard in the trash and asks Roger, "I heard you went to that new restaurant on Delgado Drive. How was your lunch?"

"Yes," bites out the Doctor, "how was your lunch with _my_ Rose, a.k.a. the Doctor's _wife_?"

"Excellent as always," replies Roger with a warm smile. "We spent the majority of our time talking about old times." He releases a hearty chuckle as he recalls, "There was the one time that we fell asleep in my hotel room while we worked on research, the explosion that somehow managed to land us safely in a mattress factory and let's not forget the too often amount of times that we would be injured and wake up in Torchwood Medical."

The Doctor bears a self-satisfied smile as he taunts, "So you're telling me that your," his fingers make air quotes, "adventures failed to keep my Rose conscious."

The Doctor's expression immediately drops into one of fury when Roger coolly responds, "No, what I'm saying is that unlike from what I've heard about your past adventures, _our_ old missions always ended with us in bed together."

Both Pete and Jake hurriedly lunge for the Doctor and drag him back down into his chair while Jack introduces himself. "It's an honor to meet you, Sir! My name is Jack Harkness, I'm one of the charity tournament players as well as a regular at the D & D Bistro."

Roger takes a seat at the table and shakes Jack's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well. I've heard all about your exploits at the D & D and not just from Pete and Jake. You're quite infamous around the games tables for being an incredibly impressive adversary." He gives Jack a rather appraising look as he withdraws his own dice from his pocket. "Perhaps, you and I can partake in a game together one day?"

Jack merely stares at the dice in Roger's hand in awe while Jake chuckles softly. "I see that you still carry those around, huh?"

"Oh, my gosh!" exclaims Jack, nearly breathless with excitement. "You don't mean that they're _those_ dice?"

The Doctor leans over the table to examine them more closely. "They don't look that much different to me than the ones that we're playing with now. What's so special about them?"

Pete and Jake turn to each other with an esoteric smile while Jack stares at the Doctor aghast and Roger simply gazes at him in sheer pity at his ignorance before he leans in close and informs him, "The night that I was awarded the title of Dungeon Master, I made this pair of dice." He turns them this way and that, the light reflecting off of them in such a way that it's practically mesmerizing in its intensity. "I etched the numerals onto them myself with a laser."

Roger then lays the dice down on the table as if he laying down a challenge. "Now, where were we?"

The Doctor's previous chipper demeanor makes a sudden reappearance as he proudly proclaims, "I just amassed enough points to become a Dream Lord!"

" _You're_ a Dream Lord?" Roger's eyes promptly narrow in suspicion. "How long have you been playing D & D?"

The Doctor appears slightly sheepish as he tugs on his ear and admits, "Well, actually, this is my first time but everyone's been kind enough to assist me in making the proper decisions as I go." The three men all offer small grins in Roger's direction before glancing away guiltily while the Doctor remains completely oblivious to their discomfort. "They've been most helpful."

Roger scoffs derisively, "That's no way to play the game! You'll never master anything as long as you seek and accept help from your companions." He surveys the Miniatures Starters set and notes sagely, "I see that you're playing for fast skirmish battles. That and your friends' assistance explains how you were able to acquire the status of Dream Lord so quickly."

With one sweeping motion, Roger wipes all of the pieces off of the game board as he announces, "We're starting over from scratch." Once he pulls out his iPad with the downloaded version of the Dungeon Master's Guide, he casually mentions, "Oh, and by the way, Doctor, you're now a Sprite."

"Wh-wh-what?" sputters the Doctor in outrage. "I'm not going to be a Sprite! I'm a Dream Lord! I became one practically fair and square!"

"Which is exactly my point, Doctor," criticizes Roger. "You need to stand on your own and earn the title; you can't just steal it away." He picks up his twenty-sided die and taps them after he places them in front of the Doctor. "You roll this whenever you attempt an action that has some chance of failure. I have a feeling that you're going to be using it quite a lot."

The Doctor's about to argue Roger's decision when Jack interrupts him by laying a hand on his arm and informing him, "I'm sorry, Doc, but you'll have to go along with it if you want to keep playing. As the Dungeon Master, he's perfectly within his right to change the rules at any time."

Everyone offers a sympathetic nod towards the Doctor with the exception of Roger who is gleefully watching the proceedings with smug satisfaction. "Fine," grumbles the Doctor as he reaches for the die when Roger suddenly snatches it up without warning.

"Ah, ah, ah," tuts Roger as he holds the die away from the Doctor, "Director Tyler goes first, you go last, those are the rules."

The Doctor's grin is as sinister as it is cunning but he remains acquiescent as a plan begins to take form within his mind. "Of course, _Master_ , I always abide by the rules."

The Doctor watches the others set up everything while he waits for his turn and his chance at revenge. He'll definitely need help from his companions… _Nope,_ he mentally corrects himself, _his friends_ , to help him pull off the little scheme that he was currently brewing but he was sure that he would gain their consent. _He'll never know what hit him_ , he chuckles darkly to himself while attempting to hide a malicious smirk.

"Alright everyone," announces Roger, "we're going to go with the Forgotten Realms campaign setting." His voice grows hypnotic with its soothing tones as he begins to weave his tale of magic and mystery. "You've just spotted an old estate by the moors and you're surrounded by werewolves…"

An hour and a half later, somewhere between the Doctor's twelth and thirteenth game, he finally amasses enough points to leave behind the label of Sprite and is awarded the alias of Valeyard.

**Next Chapter: Utopia**


	3. Utopia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The references to Commander John Koenig, Moon Base Alpha and the Eagle are all from the British sci-fi tv show Space: 1999 because as you may remember, this universe’s Jack LOVES science fiction (and he is also quite sadly, very much based on me in all manner of ways, LOL! ;) ).
> 
>  
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own anything in relation to Space: 1999, Star Wars or Tarzan.

**Chapter 3 Utopia**

It's nearing the end of the day and the Doctor is sitting at his desk and impatiently tapping out a four beat rhythm with his fingers when he finally spies Jake and Roger walking down the hall. Discreetly tapping the side of his head, the Doctor's ear piece begins to glow a soft TARDIS blue while he murmurs intently to Jack on the other end as he spins around on his chair and pretends to work on his computer. "Commander John Koenig to Moon Base Alpha, can you hear me? The Eagle has landed, I repeat, the Eagle has landed."

A goofy giggle from Jack trickles over the line to the Doctor's immense disapproval and he bears a slight frown until Jack acknowledges, "Space: 1999 jargon, Doc? _Nice._ Hey, how about next time we use Jedi speak?"

The Doctor's scowl instantly morphs into a low toned squeal of delight. "Ooohh, dibs on Obi-Wan!"

Jack questions dubiously, "Are you sure about that, Doc? I mean, it's just that Yoda's so much closer to your age."

The Doctor's scowl quickly reappears as he bites out, "Shut up, Harkness!" Then after taking a swift peek over his shoulder to ensure that nobody overheard him, he hisses, "Just hurry up and make your exit, they're almost there!"

Moments later, Jack rushes out of the break room and immediately spots Jack and Roger walking towards him. He casually calls back over his shoulder into the kitchen, "Not a problem at all, I know that nobody appreciates my chips like my Rosie! Oh, and I'll be sure to call maintenance and have them fix that overhead light."

The faint sounds of a feminine voice call back in gratitude as Jake slyly notes Roger's gaze flicker with interest towards the break room and manages to hide his own grin of approval when he suggests, "Roger, I need to discuss something with the Doctor, so why don't you relax and go grab something from the lounge?"

Roger turns to face Jake with a wolfish smile. "Funny, I was actually just thinking along those same lines myself. Thanks for the offer, Jake."

Jake gives a congenial nod while readily assuring, "No problem, mate," as Roger enters the kitchen and Jake bears his own devilish smile at the closed door right before he heads off to join Jack and the Doctor.

Inside the kitchen area, the lights are so dim that Roger can barely make out Rose's form bent over searching through the cupboards while she mutters about vinegar. Exhibiting a filthy smirk, he silently sidles up behind her and places both hands on her hips causing her to instantly still in shock.

He noticeably tightens his grip as he uses his thumbs to slowly rub gentle circles into her skin while purring, "I remember how much you love vinegar on your chips, Rose, but perhaps it's time to try something else to spice up your appetite? Perhaps, you only need a pinch?"

And with those very words, Roger takes action and pinches her bum as she lets loose with an ear splitting shriek and twists around to bear down on him with a Tyler slap while screeching, "What the hell are you playing at, Roger Pond?"

"Jackie!" he chokes in astonishment as he cradles his aching cheek. "What are you doing here? I thought you were Rose!"

He immediately starts backing up and plastering himself against the wall in fear when she stalks over to him and invades his personal space to get right up into his face and growl, _**"Rose**_ is waiting for me in Donna's office while Jack helped me fix up a snack for them!" She grabs his tie and yanks him flush up against her as she spits, "And by the way, in case you've forgotten, _**Rose**_ is a _**married**_ woman now so she won't put up with these kinds of shenanigans!" Her grasp tautens on Roger's tie and he rapidly begins turning purple. "Neither will her _**husband**_ , and neither will _**I**_!"

With a final tug on his tie, Jackie grabs him by one of his ears and hauls him towards the doorway. "Ow! Jackie, stop it! Where do you think you're taking me?"

"I'm taking you somewhere private so that I can give you a right bollocking!" declares Jackie furiously as she drags him out into the hall.

A small crowd has gathered outside at hearing all of the commotion and deeply embarrassed at the sight of so many onlookers, Roger pleads in a harsh whisper, "Jackie, let me go! This is humiliating!"

Jackie chooses to ignore him as she continues to drag him down the hall as both Rose and Donna step out of her office appearing as completely gobsmacked as the rest of the audience. "Oi, Rose! Go on and grab you and Donna's chips before they go all cold while I sort this one out!"

The Doctor suddenly appears alongside Roger and Jackie and mock sympathizes, "Oh, dear, a sorting out from Jackie Tyler? That usually takes awhile. May I get you something from the kitchen to pass the time?" He rocks back on his heels in fiendish glee while he shoves his hands into his pockets. "Fancy _a Sprite_?"

Roger's countenance is full of hatred as he eyes the Doctor, at least until Jackie gives another sharp and firm tug on his ear and begins leading him back down the hall in the other direction. "Jackie," he begs as she refuses to loosen her grip, "I'm sorry but it was an honest mistake…"

Jackie snorts in disbelief as she retorts, "There was nothing honest about that, mate! When I get through with you…" Her voice trails away the further they travel down the corridor and the Doctor swivels around with a smug smile to discover Donna and Rose standing directly behind him.

Donna glares at him accusingly as she crosses her arms over her chest and fumes, " _We are not amused_ , Doctor _._ " She waves her hand in the direction that Roger and Jackie had just left. "So do you mind telling me what's going on around here? This is supposed to be a place of business, not the main event at Madison Square Garden!"

 _Oh yeah_ , notes the Doctor to himself with a wry grin, _that Evil Queen t-shirt was so spot on._ He throws his arms out to the sides in a gesture of pure innocence. "Why are you casting such vicious aspersions in my direction, Donna Noble?"

"Oh, I don't know," quips Donna while she displays a look of deep consideration, "possibly it's the fact that the other two Marx Brothers keep patting each other on the back over there or giving each other high-fives?"

The Doctor's head swings around so fast that Donna is surprised that it doesn't actually snap right off of his neck. "Jack! Jake!" he seethes as their hands halt in mid-air before coming together for a third time. "Do you remember our little talk about _subtlety_?"

Jack appears slightly abashed while Jake merely smirks before coolly announcing, "I don't see what the big deal is, Doctor, it's not like Rose doesn't know." At the Doctor's shaken expression, Jake adds, "How else do you think that we could have gotten away with it, aye? Somebody had to keep Donna in her office."

The Doctor slowly turns to face his wife who has been watching him with a wary eye ever since he had first approached Roger and her mum. "You know about this?" he asks suspiciously and she simply nods in reply. "Yet you helped us, you chose me over him even after everything that I said," he attempts to work out while completely dumbfounded. "Why?"

"Because despite your caveman tactics of 'Me Doctor, you Rose', she denotes irritably as she steps closer to him, "I made my choice a long time ago and I chose you. And as long as we don't have a repeat of this afternoon, I will continue to choose you every time."

"Oh, Rose," murmurs the Doctor quietly, "that means so much to me. And I know that I probably shouldn't be saying this but it really does need saying. Your caveman reference was more appropriate to Tarzan, who incidentally was also a Lord, but also oddly enough never uttered the phrase, 'Me Tarzan, you Jane'." He bemusedly tugs on his ear in as he remarks, "Apparently, it's some type of misquote or urban legend that tends to persist until this day." When both her features and gaze begin to noticeably harden, he hurriedly grabs both of her hands and covers them with apologetic kisses. "I'm sorry, so, so sorry, but you know how much of an Edgar Rice Burroughs fan that I am."

Rose issues a weary sigh as she closes her eyes with a soft shake of her head before softening her tone to inquire, "Any special reason for all of this, Doctor? Like for instance, a visit from a certain green-eyed monster?"

"More like a green-eyed Master," he answers with a disgusted grimace.

Rose offers a small smile which boosts the Doctor encouragement even as she squeezes his hand and lightly swings it between them. "Doctor, granted I may have been a little overzealous when I first greeted Roger but that was just because he's a good friend who I haven't seen in a long time." She studies him earnestly as she presses, "There was never a chance of him being a threat to us, Doctor. You do know that, don't you?"

Upon noticing with an immense amount of gratitude that the others have moved away in order to give the couple some privacy, the Doctor opens both his heart and his memories to Rose as he initiates their link. _I don't know, Rose, I honestly don't know. The man may be a parallel and have earned the trust and admiration of those around him but look at what the Master of our old universe did._ He watches mournfully as her eyes widen and then forcibly shut as each recollection of a man that she has never even met is etched into her mind and then he swiftly gathers her in his arms when she begins to stagger under the weight of the last of the memories. And though Donna, Jack and Jake watch them in concern, it takes only a single warning glance from the Doctor to wisely advise them to continue keeping their distance.

He cradles Rose protectively as she clutches at his lapels in an effort to regain her balance but also to draw him as close to her as possible, finding that after witnessing his torment during 'the year that never was', she needs the immediate reassurance of his presence more than she ever has before.

"Don't you see, Rose?" he whispers brokenly. "I thought that I had managed to put that year behind me so that we could build on our future but the moment that I saw him…" He pulls back just far enough to gaze at her, pained to see the tears that continue trailing down her face from the memories that he's revealed to her. "The Master took so much from me in that year, Rose, and when I saw him again, even a parallel version of him…," the hand still cradling her head tightens in her hair as he pleads for her understanding, "I couldn't let him take you away too."

Wanting nothing more than to remove every trace of the anguish that she literally feels radiating off of him in waves through their bond, Rose instinctively jerks him to her in a basic reenactment of the first kiss that they shared on Bad Wolf Bay so long ago and floods his mind with all of the love and comfort that she is able to offer within their link, with as much privacy as she can, given their circumstances.

She only pulls away from him when the need to breathe becomes too great but she continues to kiss away his own tears as she murmurs soothingly, "You daft, silly man, don't you know that nobody could ever take me away from you? Not now, not ever and not in _any_ universe. They may keep trying to break us up, Doctor, but they **never, ever** will, remember? Because neither of us are going to let that happen, are we?"

"No," he replies simply with a soft shake of his head as he lifts up her other hand to brush a soft kiss across her knuckles before resting his forehead against hers in a gesture of sheer relief and welcome acceptance.

"And please, Doctor, don't worry about Roger," requests Rose gently with a slight trace of amusement. "He may be a bit of an arrogant git at times due to his predilection for flaunting his vast intelligence but he's there when you need him and a true blue friend. You know," she adds with her tongue and teeth grin, "sort of like somebody else that I could mention."

"In fact," she hedges as she eyes him speculatively, "I bet that the two of you could even become the best of mates once you get to know each other. No, honestly," she insists fervently when he casts a doubtful gaze in her direction, "you two have a lot in common! You know…besides me!"

She watches him start to withdraw from her both physically and mentally until she hastily adjoins, "I would have told you about Roger before now, but as you've learned he spent the last year onboard the Valiant of this universe. It was a space lab that he originally built when the stars started going out. While I was out dimension hopping, Roger was off on his own investigating what was causing it and doing everything in his power to try and find a solution to save our world and countless others in case the Dimension Cannon failed." She reaches out to run her hand through the Doctor's hair. "Now, does _that_ sound like anyone that we know?"

The Doctor's grimace grudgingly turns into a reluctant smile as he mumbles, "Perhaps…just a bit." He peers up at her with an anxious expression as he inquires hopefully, "So, am I still your Doctor then?"

"No complaints from me," she assures him wholeheartedly as she leans forward and kisses him chastely. "Except maybe for one, I knew that I had to keep Donna in her office but I wasn't exactly sure why." She narrows her gaze mistrustfully at the Doctor when his uncomfortable smile grows into a full cat that ate the cream grin. "Just exactly what did you three do to Roger that stirred Mum into such a fuss?"

The Doctor's voice is as smooth as silk as he responds cheerily, "Oh, it seems that although Roger had quite the satisfying lunch," he aims a brief glare carrying a hint of accusation at Rose, "he forgot to have his just desserts." He spins around to head over to Jack and Jake while throwing his arms around them and proudly proclaiming, "So _my best mates_ and I decided to rectify that unfortunate situation or should I say, as we will now be known from this moment forth, The Three…"

Donna speedily interrupts and helpfully supplies with tongue in cheek, "Stooges?"

"Musketeers, Donna!" corrects the Doctor adamantly and with a blazing glower centered right on her person that is reinforced with a similar pout from Jack and scowl from Jake accompanied by a childish sticking out of his tongue . "I was going to say _The Three Musketeers!"_

Donna shrugs carelessly as she ribs, "Mine's more accurate."

Knowing that Donna would steadfastly remain her usually unrepentant self, the Doctor then tracks back over towards his wife as if he were hunting prey immediately forcing her to take a few steps back while he growls, "And by the way, _Mrs. Smith_ ," the recently acquired name giving her the shivers while simultaneously and momentarily placing a huge smile on his face before he morphs his features back into an admonishing scowl, "when we get home, we're going to have a nice lengthy discussion about exactly how many pretty boys that you came across during our separation."

The Doctor spares an exasperated glance over at Jake who has his hand raised in the air and patiently declares with a mild roll of his eyes, "Yes, Jake, we all know that you're very pretty and we thank you for your honesty."

Rose extends her hand to wind his necktie around her fingers and tug him a little closer. "I came across _a lot_ of pretty boys, Doctor, but there's only one that I wanted to have by side. And that would be you, _Mr. Smith_ ," she purrs as gives him such a long and thorough kiss that Jack and Jake find themselves leaning into each other with Jake sighing, "Ahhh, now that's romance," while Donna simply dismisses the affectionate act with a meager and disgusted, "Oh, please."

"So now that the dust has settled," inquires the Doctor curiously of the two men once he and Rose were able to compose themselves while keeping their arms loosely wrapped around each other's waists, "why is it that you two agreed to help me? Seeing that Roger was a friend of yours," he tilts his head to indicate Jake, "and your seemingly misguided idol?" he notes with a slight sneer in Jack's direction.

"Well, I have to admit that it was a tough call," confesses Jake seriously as he hops up on the desk behind him to seat himself comfortably. "Roger _is_ a good friend and I fully intend to continue to be one to him, but so are you, Doctor. And for all the snipes and gripes that you two may have exchanged during his visit here, I've never seen you in that much pain before." The Doctor and Rose both startle and dart uneasy glances at each other over the total accuracy of Jake's almost casual assessment.

"Mind you, Roger never had a chance in Hell of stealing Rose off of you, not even when you weren't in this universe, but for whatever reason known only to you," he glances at Rose's adoring gaze, "and I'm guessing now both of you, you know it now and it looks to me as if you've worked everything out." He places both palms flat on the desk as he leans forward. "You see, Doctor, you flat out asked me for help when you knew that you needed a friend and for all the time that I've known him, Roger's still never done that." He sits upright with a grin that reflects the feeling of love and loyalty that he holds for the married couple in front of him. "So let's just say that although I consider both of you good mates, I knew who needed me more."

"That's so beautiful," croaks Jack with a sudden unexpected attack of the sniffles as he pulls out his handkerchief and dabs at his eyes.

"Are you going to be okay there, Jack?" questions Jake kindly with just the hint of a smile.

"Yeah," assures Jack with one last sniff. "You know, the janitorial staff really needs to dust a lot better in here, it's affecting my eyes."

"I'll alert them myself," vows the Doctor benevolently, "when I drop off a case of Pete's best Cognac in apology for the break room."

"That'll be nice for them, they'll appreciate that," opines Jack with one final swipe of his eyes. "Just be sure that they don't slip me any again to loosen me up, those ladies in Accounting are still giving me the evil eye." He shudders at the memory in embarrassment. "I never knew that there would so many innuendos that you could make about figures until last St. Patrick's Day."

"Neither did those young and briefly innocent new hires until they met you," recalls the Doctor pityingly. "Or at least were introduced to the inebriated version of you." He tilts his head inquiringly at Jack. "So now it's your turn, Captain Jack, what made you turn traitor to the Dungeon Master and help out your best mate?"

"For the very fact that you are my best mate, Doc," answers Jack simply, honestly. "The Master may have been a hero in my eyes but you're a hero in my heart," he states sincerely as he taps his chest, "and to me that means a heck of a lot more. "You're my friend and family all rolled into one and when it comes to needing _anything_ , you never need to ask." Jack's enormous grin is the mixture between an expectant little boy on Christmas and the barest reminder of a certain ex-Time Agent back in their original universe as he shares enthusiastically, "But I'm awfully glad that you did."

"So am I, Jack, so am I," the Doctor heartily agrees with a grateful smile towards his two comrades in arms before issuing a reluctant sigh and a quick departing peck to Rose's lips. "Now if you will all please excuse me, I have some business to attend to."

Taking note of Donna's unusually quiet demeanor during this entire fiasco, the Doctor sends her an inquisitive stare as he asks, "Donna, not that I'm not indebted to your incredible show of restraint during this brilliantly laid out plot of ours, but why is it that you appear to be so okay with it?"

Donna's smile is both gracious and grand as she responds, "Because I know where my loyalties lie, Doctor." She takes a moment to acknowledge his preening at her comment before she tacks on, "And that would be with Rose." At his hurt expression, Donna instantly relents and amends, "And you as well, Spaceman. You and I may not be as close as you and your original Donna were but it doesn't mean that I don't care about you or that I won't watch out for my friends when they need it. Besides," she notes with a mischievous grin, "these two yobbos filled me in on what you did while you were chatting with Rose over there and I happen to think it was rather funny."

Donna then smoothes down her suit jacket as she straightens her frame to her full regal height as she once again falls back into her role of Director. "However, we are here to _work_ , so this 'business' that you mentioned, would that be Torchwood business or monkey business?"

The Doctor chuckles before answering, "It's lighting business, actually." He pulls his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket and proceeds to twirl it around in the air. "I need to go and repair a few fuses in the break room."

"Need any help there, love?" inquires Rose teasingly.

"Nah," he denies good-naturedly as he starts off for the break room. "This one I can definitely handle on my own."

 _Interesting job, faithful friends and a beautiful and loving wife_ , considers the Doctor thoughtfully. _Life is good._ He's just about to enter the kitchen when the sound of raised voices reaches his ears. Apparently, Jackie has drawn Pete into her little forum with Roger Pond. _Ah yes, life is good, at least for some._

**THE END**


End file.
